Bhagavat Gita- Chap13, Verses 7-11

There are too many fusions & separations in the process of body formation.In every fusion there is birth; every separation marks a death also.The separation of the sperm from the father's body is the first one and when it enters the mother's womb first death occurs to the sperm.It takes birth when it enters ovum and forms the fertilized egg.As we all know all separations are sorrowful like leaving father's body.The foetus dies and the baby is born! It is difficult for us to imagine births and deaths in the way the sages have depicted.This stage causes a lot of anxiety, tension and a defensive response though it happens in an unconscious state.This is also an occasion when two strong powers that are deeply embedded in the Ego according to Freud.which he mentions in 'Ego and Id.'
When the man separates himself from his parents and goes after comforts, desires and luxury, unhappiness inevitably follows him.He often asks himself' Who am I?'' What's mine?' and 'What's not mine?'Pride of a person makes him feel he has to be respected and treated differently by others. This feeling floats in the conscious state of the person. But when you become one among the crowd, your individuality loses its relevance. That's the occasion when one becomes boastful and bragging. Jean-Paul Sartre calls this 'Existential Ego'

Swami Yeti Nithya Chaitaniya highlights the fact that 3000 years ago our seers discovered the subtle nature of our mind with all its nuances. Freud and other psycho analysts could explain the phenomenon of Ego only after thousands of years!

Why Spiritualism? Why Vedanta?

Vedanta means end of knowledge.'When you know that you don't have to know anything else.'jnana is the holiest of everything The more jnana you gather, it helps you to achieve your goal in spiritualism. Upanishad  is a treasure house of jnana. Bhagavat Geeta in its 700 odd verses summarizes what all the Upanishads give.It requires patience, dedication and true devotion to develop a spiritual mind unwavering & unrelenting in the face of upheavals, sensual pleasures&death.

If you had asked me about spiritualism 3 or 4 years ago, I would have laughed at you. I believed God resides in temples and in heaven with the Pujaris being  the middlemen to reach He Or She.I 'prayed' before Him/ Her when I felt sad and on occasions when I thought I needed His/ Her intervention which very rarely took place by coincidence, But I never despaired and w as hopeful than ever!

On retrospection, I often felt I was never a good father or a husband. I failed them when they needed me most. My own incompetence, humiliations haunted  me. I played no role in shaping the careers of my children. They rose to the level they a re in now by sheer hard work and diligence, sincerity and integrity the qualities I woefully lacked. I adore my children for their love and honesty and the principles they uphold which have guided them very well. 

 As if this self-loathing is not enough, my eye-sight was troubling me following retinal detachment in both eyes. It is very irritating when you are unable to read the newspaper or books without a magnifying  glass. I had to use hearing aid . All this together was trying to push me down to an abyss.

On a fine morning, I switched on television and started surfing the channels. There was a discourse going on by some Swamiji which I didn't care much about. I lingered a bit on a news channel went back. I stopped at the discourse.I listened to it, but the time was up and the programme ended. I had no intention to watch it again tomorrow. But next day, promptly I started with Swamiji's discourse. It was Swamy Sandeepanandagiri's discourse on Bhagavat Geetha. I watched it on next day, again next day again and again....

Swamiji's discourse had a profound influence on my mind. I asked myself: Well, is this going to be my remedy for all my mental ills? Something within me said loudly-''YES!''I decided on that day to go all out to know about Vedanta and Geetha and follow them. I thought if I couldn't go till the very end because I am already in the evening of my life  at least by following it I can be a good person bereft of desires, greed, arrogance, egoism, dishonesty and insincerity.I read and re-read Geetha and I found everytime I read it I found something new and interesting. I collected books on Upaniishads  and commentaries by eminent Swamijis. Reading them and assimilating whatever I have learnt and trying to adopt a life fit for the final Ashrama, became my hobby, my interest.

And my tryst with spiritualism started.I don't know how successful I was in taming my unruly mind and suppress my ego; I feel I have given a good try and still continuing the efforts. My happiest moment of the day  is at 4 am when I start my meditation. I am ecstatic inundated with eternal happiness when I try to concentrate and meditate on Paramatma who dwells in me, in you and in all living objects which compels me to love everything around me.

Today almost 4 years since I started my experiments with spiritualism, I am a contended man, devoid of anger, free from most of desires. I have now rheumatoid  arthritis to fight with but the pain does not trouble me.I feel it affects my body not my Eternal Soul which can never be hampered. My body will perish finally it is insignificant.I'll have to change it the way I change a soiled dress. So simple.

Paramatma alone is indestructible, ever present and omnipotent.Think of Him there is peace...serenity...calm......AUM..............

May you all live in eternal happiness many many many more years performing only good deeds loving   every living thing because He lives in you and in them.

Murali

BBC's 'Our World'today afternoon on television made a chilling revelation of the rise of German nationalism. Chancellor Markel's economic policies extending huge aids to the ailing economies of Spain and Greece has created a sense of insecurity among conservative Germans. The migrants from the former East European countries and muslims from Turkey and other nations, they feel, will make the vibrant German culture non-existent. In an interview given to the BBC correspondent, a hooded far right activist said they want the original German culture to last longer and German economy should flourish. We can't brush this aside saying it is the handiwork of a few mavericks considering the support they're gaining among Germans. They have already started indoctrination in some of the schools to start with.Perhaps last generation may have some knowledge of Hitler's attempt to purify German nation which started in the lae 1930s resulting in the annihilation of millions of Jews and how his nationalism unleashed the disastrous world war.The world is in in a much worse situation with allround economic downturn than when the war started.I am not a doomsayer, but in the eventuality of another Hitler coming up the damage to human life can be mindboggling thanks to all modern technology. Nationalism has found followers in France, Belgium and Netherlands where wearing burqua has been made illeagal. Sarkowsky barred gypsies' entry from Eastern Europe. Even in England there is a 5 million increase in population which has put the economy into severe strain. Govt-run institutions like National Health Scheme are finding it difficult to find funds so much so that doctors are discouraged to prescribe costly medicines if a cheaper alternative is availabe even if it acts slowly and less effective.There may be simmering discontent beneath the all is well scenario which might come to surface when matters take a downturn. Suppressing Neo-Nazis and allied groups by force may be counterproductive. Improving the living standards and clearing the minds of people of unwanted fear may ease the situation. Otherwise,German nationalism will make the Arabs and Muslim nationalism a child's play. Murali

Roger Federer Again!!

A few days past since my last blog on him and now I've to eat my words! I was in a hurry to write Federer off before he sailed into the 3rd round but after witnessing his performance in the QF I felt this champion is playing with a renewed vigour and surging confidence. His SF defeart of Yoshny was emphatic. A doubt began growing in my mind if he plays like this why not another Grand Slam for him? With all credit to the great fighting spirit of Murray, finally, as BBC commentator said the best player won the tournament. Federer has Olympics& US Open before him. Now I wonder: Will this amazing champion add these two coveted prizes to his already bulging bag of GSlams & titles. Maybe, May be not.It's immaterial.The present is more important. Bye Murali

Roger Federer

I am avid tennis fan. From the days of Pietrangelli,Ramnathan Krishnan, Rod Laver, Newcomb, Amritraj bros till now I have watched the rise and eclipse of so many great names in Men's tennis.Pete Sampras was the first player whom I started admiring for his game and on court and off court behaviour. Before Pete, all others became insignificant!One by one they bit the dust. Lendl, Connors,Macenroe, Borg. Wilander the list is long.But not until one youngster who was still wet behind the ears yet came form somewhere and showed the world he intends to stay there for sometime to come- Roger Federer.He started winning titles one after the other and became the cynosure of all when he defeated his own idol, Pete Sampras in 2001 Wimbledon Final.Federer wept unashamedly like he did when he lost Australian Open to Nadal almost a decade later,because he won the first Grand Slam beating his favourite player after whom he fashioned his own game. Sixteen Grand Slams and almost all amjor tournaments later his game is at cross roads. For almost 10 years he reigned supreme. The King Federer had no rivals!He won the coveted Davis Cup for his country-Switzerland. there was still one more Grandslam to be added to his kitty-French Open. Two years ago he won that too.He was 29 and Nadal was breathing down his neck.His winnings came to a trickle one here, another there, he became erratic,his powerful shots seemed to slip away losing points at the end of long rallies...well, his game no longer had the consistency which was its backbone once. I don't know how he's going to fare in 2012 Wimbledon which is going on.I saw the way he thrashed the spaniard Ramos 6-1,6-1,6-1 with some delectable shots,net drops and baseline drives.Tennis critics are wondering if he'll achieve the seemingly impossible task of a 7th Wimbledon Crown, we can't say anything now. (I myself don't see him going beyond semifinal when he is likely to meet his nemesis Djokovic) Whether he will win anymore tournaments or not is not important. The fact is he has created a special place for himself in the minds of his admirers like me. When the seeded players came to Wimbledon before the draw, everyone jostled to come closer to Federer. Not many bothered about Nadal or Djokovic. Federer didn't disappoint anyone. One young boy stammered:'' Can I be good-er sorry-like you?''Federer ruffled his hair and asked him''How good are you now?'' I was in Doha for 2011 Qatar Open. The final was between Federer and Davidenko. When Federer came to the court there was an electrified effect! All rose to give him a standing ovation. Today also, when he beat Ramos, I witnessed the same. Everyone got up and applaued him; not because he defeated a much junior player; that ovation is only for legends like him. No wonder he was the 2nd most popular person after Nelson Mandela!

Eye Problem!

My tryst with the vision started in September2010 when my retina got detached from its original place showing great discomfort at the way I was treating my eyes. It was promptly diagnosed by my eye specialist Dr.Rajesh who sent me to Sankara Eye Centre, Coimbatore. Dr.Prabhu Sankar, the retinal specialist who has undergone specialist training in Moorefields, London operated on my eye. What he found was more holes than retina itself!So he filled some silicon oil and sent me home asking me toreport to him after four months to get the oil rmoved.I returned from Doha after a 2 months stay with my son Tinku on 12th Feb and on 8th of march second surgery to remove the oil took place.While extracting the thick Fevicol like oil,a strand of retina again fell off.So this time he filled the empty space withinthe eye with gas to make the retina stick. Things were OK till3rd May when once again the right eye went blank! I promptly consulted Dr. Prabhu. He was appalled to see the gas escaped through the many holes. My son said my retina is more like Keerala roads when the highway dept tries to fill the pot holes they keep appearing somewhere else! So I was once again one-eyed Jack!I'm getting operated tomorrow once agin by Dr.Prabhu who wants t fill my eye space with silicon oil once again. I don't know who has the maximum fun-The doctor or my stubborn retina!!
The moral of the sory is learn to live with deficiencies. I've become an expert to use my only available eye! I can even drive a car and watch movies and why I can even type this blog!!!

Should we go the American way?

There was a time when everything associated with United States of America looked and sounded greatly fashionable.That was long time ago.....

Following the great globalization and liberalization of trade and commerce millions of us waited with bated breath for the launching of the famed Macdonalds, the chains of supermarkets like Wal-Mart and vast number of new gleaming irresistible cars expected to be available in plush show rooms which were dull and drab till then, hardly exhibiting any Premier Padmini and Ambassador because it was a sellers market and you had to wait unbearably long to take delivery and drive out one.

Our own economy was in worse shape in the early 90's when we had to pledge whatever little gold we had to keep the required reserve which was on the brink of bankruptcy. With gradual liberalization and opening of Indian markets 'foreign' goods once a rarity found their way to our homes.With the Gulf job boom people had a lot of disposable income which enabled them to indulge in shopping sprees.

Lawrence Sammers, the then Treasury secretary, United States, was very brutal in his scathing attack on the Government control and lack of private capital penetration in developing countries like India, China etc.. He advocated the need for the third world countries to adopt American method of accounting, transparency and more capital oriented business in the private sector.That was in 2008, fag end of Gunshot Bush's tenure.

American economy started falling apart in the late 2008 and in 2009, the once awesome colossal economic power became a shadow of its might and its fall was complete. US banks became synonymous of shady deals,with their capitals virtually wiped out started going bust one after the other.When all these were happening, the third world countries like India and China stabilized themselves which helped them to build up on a strong economy.We don't know what advice MR.Sammers could offer to his own countrymen!

Don't pat your back while you read this.Our problems, may be a bit different, will soon follow.
Our children enjoyed Macdonalds day in and day out, played computer games and watched televison all the time, started showing signs of good living. Obesity became a grave danger and soon there was a big chunk of adult population suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure.Gradually, people started to wean their kids away from rich fatty food to bring them back to the regular food they used to consume earlier. Adults too, looked the other way when they saw restaurants serving pizzas and ice creams. We started accusing the Americans for getting us hooked to their food habits.

More danger was lurking for 20-30 age group. The vast IT potential of our countries was fully utilised by the American business. The 20 -somethings earned hugely which helped them to lead a lavish lifestyle of material comforts which beckoned them for more.Men and women became intolerant of each other which shattered their family life. Divorces were uncommon till then, but now it hit the roof. The courts in Metro cities were bursting in their seams due to the heavy work load. Physical violence became more common among couples. Extra marital affairs and unwanted pregnancies became the norm. People raised questions in the open forums of TV channels- is this the result of going the American way? May be.

We never anticipated the development that would lead our cities and towns to severe traffic congestions. We were not used to planning beyond 5 years. This caused extreme chaos on our city roads with thousands of vehicles having been added daily to the existing numbers. Our roads are narrow and ill-paved with no proper maintenance and not equipped to handle such a vehicle population. Result? People preferred to park their cars at home and board the ubiquitous auto or just walk-good for health!The surging vehicle population also contributed more carbon into the already polluted air and our oil demand increased many times.

Our minister for environment, Mr. Jairam Ramesh is the latest in line to fire salvo
against American life styles. According to him imitating American life style is detrimental to every thing. He recently refused permission to build a hydro electric dam which would have probably lighted some more sprawling ranch houses in the suburban Delhi. He asked one pertinent question. Why should I allow them to block the free flow of water in a river to give the more affluent society of Delhi more power to waste?

Can we say the honourable minister is wrong? Hell no! Development is fine, but mindless unimaginative development will be a disaster. We have a responsibility to our grand children and their children; we shouldn't leave them the legacy of destruction and poison in air and water.Youngsters, think about the trauma of your child when you both separate. If you were that child how would you have reacted? Enjoy life; but your family life is more important. Give your children emotional and physical security and leave a clean earth for their healthy life.


American life is fine to those Americans; but every aspect of American life is not acceptable to us. Imbibe the best and discard the rest. Take for instance,their abhorrence to lack of cleanliness. They don't dirty their roads spitting all over or urinating wherever they want. Why can't we take that up? Why can't our youngsters be more tolerant to each other and start loving their families? There is a lot morelife ahead of you.